The city council, in its Thursday, April 26, meeting, gave the go-ahead to negotiate the purchase for $200,000.

Greg Brown, chair of the district fire board, said the fire department wants to expand its facilities to include more staff quarters, training areas and equipment space.

The Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters could share some of the property.

According to Brown, the expansion, which remains three to four years down the road, is expected to cost at most $1.8 million. Brown said there will be no bond request to Sisters area taxpayers.

"Our fire board is on record, we are opposed to any bond for buildings," Brown said.

The district is seeking grant funding and construction won't start until funding is in hand.

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Brown noted that there once were plans to create a multi-agency complex on the U.S. Forest Service compound, but it was determined that it would be too expensive to move the fire district facilities.

The city property is dedicated "for governmental purposes," Brown noted. The land formerly belonged to the Forest Service, was transferred to Deschutes County and then to the City of Sisters.